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Homicide: Life on the Street
Homicide: Life on the Street is a highly acclaimed American television police procedural series chronicling the work of a fictional Baltimore Police Department homicide unit. The series was based on David Simon's nonfiction book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets, and many characters and stories used throughout the show's seven seasons were based on individuals and events depicted in the book. It ran for seven seasons on the NBC network from 1993 to 1999 and then was followed by a 2000 TV-movie that served as a de facto series finale. Shared cast members with The Wire Homicide unit *Clark Johnson plays Detective Meldrick Lewis on Homicide and City Desk Editor Gus Haynes on The Wire. Clark Johnson got his directing debut on Homicide and directed the pilot episode and finale of The Wire. *Richard Belzer plays John Munch on Homicide and appeared as a bar patron in The Wire. The cameo is identified as Munch by many people because Belzer's lines included mention of previously owning a bar but this has not been confirmed by the show's creators. *Callie Thorne plays Detective Laura Ballard on Homicide and Elena McNulty on The Wire. *Peter Gerety plays Detective Stuart Gharty on Homicide and Judge Daniel Phelan on The Wire. *Toni Lewis plays Detective Terri Stivers on Homicide and an FBI agent on The Wire. Other police *Clayton LeBouef plays Colonel George Barnfather on Homicide and strip club front man Wendell "Orlando" Blocker on The Wire. *Gary D'Addario plays QRT commander Lieutenant Jasper on Homicide and Grand Jury Prosecutor Gary DiPasquale on The Wire. He was the inspiration for the character Al Giardello on Homicide. *Charley Scalies plays Sergeant Sal Burns on Homicide and stevedore Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa on The Wire. *Cleo Reginald Pizana plays Detective Bob Connelly on Homicide and Mayoral Chief of Staff Coleman Parker on The Wire. *Dave Trovato plays Officer Mike Graul on Homicide and Lieutenant (later Major) Cantrell on The Wire. *Jay Spadaro plays Officer Jay Salerno on Homicide and played a uniformed officer on The Wire. *Michael Ahl plays Officer Phatt on Homicide and a narcotics detective on The Wire. *Joe Gerety plays FBI Agent Stampers on Homicide and a state trooper on The Wire. *Al Brown appears uncredited as a Deputy City Sherrif in the season 3 Homicide episode "Every Mother's Son" and Major (later Deputy Commissioner) Stan Valchek on The Wire. *Alan J. Wendl plays a desk sergeant on both Homicide and The Wire. *Keith Johnson plays a uniformed officer on Homicide and a desk sergeant on The Wire. *Pete Burris guest starred in the season 5 Homicide episode "White Lies" as the polygraph examiner and appeared uncredited in the season 1 The Wire finale "Sentencing" as a federal judge. Criminals *Erik Todd Dellums plays drug kingpin Luther Mahoney on Homicide and Dr. Randall Frazier on The Wire. *Robert F. Chew plays drug dealer Wilkie Collins in season 6 of Homicide and Proposition Joe on The Wire. *Larry Hull plays Charles Flavin on Homicide and William Gant on The Wire. *Tim McAdams plays James Douglas on Homcide and a motorist and school teacher on The Wire. *Benjamin Busch plays internet killer Luke Ryland on Homicide and Officer Anthony Colicchio on The Wire. *Antonio D. Charity plays stick-up man Marvin AKA Kid Funkadelic in the Homicide episdoe "Bop Gun" and Corrections Officer Dwight Tilghman on The Wire. *Reg E. Cathey plays drug dealer Bernard Weeks in the Homicide episode "Full Court Press" and political aide Norman Wilson on The Wire. *J.D. Williams plays Damon "Casper" Kelly in the Homicide episode "The Why Chromosome" and drug dealer Bodie Broadus on The Wire. Others *Larry Gilliard, Jr. plays William Lyness in the Homicide episode "Dog and Pony Show" and drug dealer D'Angelo Barksdale on The Wire. *Michael Willis plays Attorney Darin Russom on Homicide and politically connected property developer Andy Krawczyk on The Wire. *Jim True-Frost plays George Buxton in the Homicide episode "Stakeout" and detective turned teacher Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski in The Wire. *Michael Salconi plays a barman called Alfred in the Homicide episodes "Thrill of the Kill" and "Wu's on First", and Officer Michael Santangelo on The Wire. *Nath Benchley plays a bartender in the Homicide episodes "Self Defense" and "Fallen Heroes: Part 2" and Detective Augustus Polk on The Wire. *Tom Quinn plays Tom Rath in the Homicide episode "The Heart of a Saturday Night" and Detective Patrick Mahon on The Wire. *Doug Roberts plays Donalad Tochterhagen on Homicide and State's Attorney Steven Demper on The Wire. *Donald Neal plays Augie Distel on Homicide and rewrite man Jay Spry on The Wire. *Thomas J. McCarthy plays Bob Parker in the Homicide episode "Wu's on First" and State Desk Editor Tim Phelps on The Wire. *Mary Beth Wise plays Beth Felton on Homicide and surveillance detail member Karen on The Wire. *Angel M. Wainwright plays Shy K on Homicide and Tywanda on The Wire. *Joey Perillo plays Bernard Munch on Homicide and a medical examiner on The Wire. *Kay Lawal plays Rose Landry in the Homicide episdoe "Bop Gun" and a Western district community member in the third season of The Wire (she was credited for the role in the episode "Middle Ground"). *Dick Stilwell plays Congressman Jerry Wade in the Homicide episode "Cradle to Grave" and police commissioner Warren Frazier in The Wire episode "The Hunt". *Christopher Glenn Wilson plays Timothy Draper in the Homicide episode "Cradle to Grave" and a DEA agent in The Wire episodes "The Cost" and "The Hunt". *Kevin Murray plays Malcolm in the Homicide episode "Partners" and Frederick Mapes in the Homicide episode "Lies and Other Truths" and FBI Agent Kleary in season 2 of The Wire. *Jill Redding plays Mrs. Krebs in the Homicide episode "The Old and the Dead" and bar owner Delores season 2 of The Wire. *Duane Chandler Rawlings plays Leon in the Homicide episode "Heartbeat" and Co-Op Kingpin Hungry Man in The Wire. *J. Valenteen Gregg plays Jerome in the Homicide episode "Requiem for Adena" and stevedore Moonshot in season 2 of The Wire. *Barry Bradford plays a drug dealer in the Homicide episode "Scene of the Crime" and a Barksdale stash house man in The Wire episode "The Cost". *Kevin Jiggers plays Raheem in the Homicide episode "Scene of the Crime" and Frommers in season 2 of The Wire. *Jim Scopelitis plays Dr. Siegel in the Homicide episode "The Heart of a Saturday Night" and a banker in The Wire episode "Not for Attribution". *Tony Tsendeas plays Gary Swim in the Homicide episode "The Heart of a Saturday Night" and a homeless man in The Wire episode "React Quotes". *R. Emery Bright plays Julius J. Cummings in the Homicide episode "Blood Wedding" and the Western district community relations sergeant in season 3 of The Wire. *Christopher Mann plays Antonio Brookdale in the Homicide episode "Deception" and councilman Anthony Gray on The Wire. *Kurt L. Schmoke plays himself (as the Mayor of Baltimore) in the Homicide episode "Partners and other Strangers" and the Homicide movie and plays the health commissioner in season 3 of The Wire. *Dion Graham plays Curtis Lambright in the Homicide episode "Saigon Rose" and State's Attorney Rupert Bond on The Wire. *Bobby J. Brown plays Terry in the Homicide episode "Closet Cases" and Officer Bobby Brown on The Wire. *Jeorge Watson plays Tricky in the Homicide episode "Sins of the Father" and Barksdale drug dealer Marvin Browning in season 1 of The Wire. *Maria Broom plays Suzanne Taylor in the season 7 Homicide episode "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song" and councilwoman Marla Daniels in The Wire. *Wendy Grantham has an uncredited role as Carrie Coleman in the season 7 Homicide episode "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song" and a recurring role as Shardene Innes in The Wire. *Joseph Urla plays Jake Benedeck in the Homicide episode "The Twenty Percent Solution" and the Maryland District US Attorney in season 5 of The Wire. *David Simon has a cameo as a suspect in the Homicide episode "Wanted Dead or Alive: Part 1" and a cameo as a reporter in season 2 of The Wire. He wrote the novel that inspired Homicide (Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets) and later served as a writer and producer on the series. *Amy Ryan played Erika Cullen in the Homicide episode "A Case of Do or Die" and Beadie Russell on The Wire. *Terrence Currier guest starred as Charles Devlin in the season 6 Homicide episode "Finnegan's Wake" and appeared uncredited as Roy Brown in the season 1 The Wire episode "Sentencing". *Kirk Penberthy guest starred in the season 6 Homicide episode "Closet Cases" as Sam Farrell and appears uncredited as FBI Agent Arnold D. Paulette in the season 1 The Wire finale "Sentencing". *Gil Deeble played Robert Dawson in the season 7 Homicide episode "Zen and the Art of Murder" and drug addict Hucklebuck on The Wire. *Brian Anthony Wilson played Diner #1 in the Homicide episode "Identity Crisis" and homicide Detective Vernon Holley in The Wire. *Lawrence Cameron Steele played a detective in the Homicide episode "The Why Chromosome" and a Western district shift lieutenant in season 3 of The Wire. *Mark Joy plays Nathan Stiegler in Homicide: The Movie and property developed Ed Bowers in The Wire. *David E. Goodman appears uncredited as a surgeon in Homicide: The Movie and the Mayor's budget advisor in seasons 3 to 5 of The Wire. *William Shipman appears uncredited as a Muslim in Homicide: The Movie and did background work as a police officer on The Wire. *John Bobby did background work on both series according to IMDb. *Aaron Michael Lacey did background work on both series according to IMDb. Shared crew members Producers David Simon The publishers of Simon's book Homicide:A Year on the Killing Streets were eager for a screen adaptation and submitted it to numerous directors but there was little interest. Simon suggested that they send the book to Baltimore native and film director Barry Levinson. Levinson's assistant Gail Mutrix enjoyed the book and both she and Levinson became attached as producers. The project became the award-winning TV series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993-1999), on which Simon worked as a writer and producer. Despite providing then source material for the show Simon was not credited as the series creator - Paul Attansio was given that credit. Simon was asked to write the show's pilot episode by Mutrix but declined as he felt he did not have the necessary expertise. He collaborated with his old college friend David Mills to write the season two premiere "Bop Gun". The episode was based on a story by executive producer Tom Fontana and featured Robin Williams in a guest starring role that garnered the actor an Emmy nomination. Simon and Mills won the WGA Award for Best Writing in a Drama for "Bop Gun". Simon left his job with the Baltimore Sun in 1995 to work full time on Homicide: Life on the Street during the production of the show's fourth season. Simon wrote the teleplay for the season four episodes "Justice: Part 2" and "Scene of the Crime" (with Anya Epstein). For season five he was the show's story editor and continued to contribute teleplays writing the episodes "Bad Medicine" and "Wu's on First?" (again with Epstein). He was credited as a producer on the shows sixth and seventh series. He wrote the teleplays for parts two and three of the sixth season premiere "Blood Ties" (the latter marking his third collaboration with Epstein) and provided the story for the later sixth season episodes "Full Court Press" and "Finnegan's Wake" (with James Yoshimura). He provided the story for the seventh season episodes "Shades of Gray" (with Julie Martin), "The Same Coin" (again with Yoshimura) and "Self Defense" (with Eric Overmyer). Simon wrote the story and teleplay for the seventh season episodes "The Twenty Percent Solution" and "Sideshow: Part 2". Simon, Martin and teleplay writer T. J. English won the Humanitas Prize for the episode "Shades of Gray". Simon was nominated for a second WGA Award for Best Writing in a Drama for his work on "Finnegan's Wake" with Yoshimura and Mills (who wrote the teleplay). Simon has said that he thought the show was a "remarkable drama" but that it did not reflect the book. He has also said that when writing for the show he had to put his experiences of the real detectives aside as the characters became quite different, particularly in terms of their more philosophical approach to the job. Simon said that TV must find shorthand ways of referencing anything real. Eric Overmyer Overmyer joined the Homicide writing staff in the shows fourth season. He wrote a single episode in the fourth and fifth season. He became a consulting producer for the shows sixth season and continued to write episodes. He became a supervising producer for the seventh season and continued to write episodes. Overmyer was brought in as a consulting producer and writer for the fourth season of The Wire. Writers *As already noted David Simon wrote for both series. *As already noted Eric Overmyer wrote for both series. *David Mills wrote for Homicide and joined the writing staff of The Wire in the fourth season. *Joy Lusco Kecken began her career as an assistant to Homicide producer Henry Brommell and later wrote two episodes of Homicide. She wrote for the first three seasons of The Wire before returning as an episodic director for the fifth season. *Rafael Alvarez wrote an episode of Homicide and wrote for the first three seasons of The Wire. *Shamit Choksey worked as a writer's assistant on Homicide and co-wrote a first season episode of The Wire. Directors *Clark Johnson directed several episodes of Homicide and directed the pilot, finale and two other episodes of The Wire. He also starred on both series. *Leslie Libman directed several episodes of Homicide and directed an episode of The Wire. *Tim Van Patten directed several episodes of both series. *Ed Bianchi directed several episodes of both series. *Alex Zakrzewski was a director of photography on Homicide and later an episodic director on The Wire. *Nina K. Noble served as a unit production manager and first assistant director on Homicide and became a producer and eventually an executive producer on The Wire. *Ivan J. Fonesca has worked as an assistant director on both series. *Frank Ferro has worked as an assistant director on both series. Other crew *Vince Peranio served as the production designer on both series. *Brook Yeaton served as the property master on Homicide as an on-set dresser on The Wire. He also had a recurring role on The Wire as drug dealer "White" Mike McArdle. *Jeffrey Pratt Gordon served as the second props assistant on Homcide and the property master on The Wire. He had a recurring role on The Wire as stevedore Johnny "Fifty" Spamanato. *Pat Moran was the Baltimore casting director for both series. *Real police lieutenant Gary D'Addario served as a techinical consultant for both series. As noted earlier he had a recurring role on both series. References Category:Connections Category:Other series